PG&E Issues Weather ‘All Clear’ in Most Locations for Public Safety Power Shutoff Event

Pacific Gas and Electric Company has begun patrols to inspect lines de-energized by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that started Sunday morning, Sept. 27, which affected about 65,000 customers in 16 counties. This follows the end of a severe weather pattern that included strong, dry winds coupled with elevated temperatures in portions of the Northern and Central Sierra region. Wind in de-energized areas due to PSPS were observed to include:

Weather Station (county)

Event WS Max (mph)

Mt. St. Helena West (Sonoma)

61 mph sustained, 73 mph gusts

Jarbo Gap (Butte)

44 mph sustained, 72 gusts

Mt. Diablo. (Contra Costa)

52 mph sustained, 66 mph gusts

This morning, PG&E meteorologists in our Emergency Operations Center issued a weather all-clear for most—but not all—areas impacted by the PSPS. Crews have begun inspecting nearly 3,915 miles of transmission and distribution lines for damage or hazards. This patrol and inspection effort will include nearly 1,700 ground personnel and 50 helicopters.

About 37,000 customers are out of power due to wildfires that started overnight, including the Glass, Zogg and others. Power was turned off in partnership with CAL FIRE and for the safety of firefighters in active fire areas or due to damage caused from wildfire related impacts to equipment.

PSPS Restoration

Crews will inspect lines for damage or hazards caused by strong winds and other factors. Once the lines have been inspected and any needed repairs are made, PG&E will proceed to restore power.

PG&E expects to restore power to the large majority of customers impacted by this PSPS event by 11:59 p.m. Monday evening. Restoration may be delayed for some customers if crews are required to fix significant damage to individual lines, which could be caused by wind-blown branches and other debris.

After severe weather has passed, PG&E inspects the electric system for wind and debris-caused damage to make sure it is safe to turn the power back on. The process PG&E follows includes:

1. Inspect – PG&E crews work to visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to the lines, poles and towers. This is done by foot, vehicle and air.
2. Repair – Where equipment damage is found, PG&E crews work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be restored.
3. Restore – Once the poles, towers and lines are safe to energize, PG&E's Control Center can complete the process and restore power to affected areas.
4. Notify Customers – Customers are notified that power has been restored.

For more information on the PSPS event, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.